


Our Twisted Fates

by TheRuralAbjurer (zephyr42)



Category: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV), Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Crack Crossover, Inspired By Tumblr, and then it's just spiderman pointing at spider man dot gif, in which caleb widogast and rebecca bunch sit down and have boba
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 11:59:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18410207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephyr42/pseuds/TheRuralAbjurer
Summary: Caleb ends up in West Covina? Somehow? and Rebecca buys him a boba.





	Our Twisted Fates

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by tumblr user [luckthebard](https://luckthebard.tumblr.com/post/184058707879/ok-so-my-last-post-was-niche-and-a-joke-but), who provides the best meta and crackfic ideas.

The boba stand was busier than usual. The sun was out, and the bright umbrellas were keeping the heat off the necks of the people playing hooky from their desk jobs while the desert winds shook the umbrellas in a gentle protest. A woman in a bright sundress polished off her second boba of the day (taro, an upgrade from her usual mango) and frowned at an email on her phone. Completely absorbed, she did not see the bearded, unkempt man in front of her table, gently trying to get her attention by waving.

“Hello, excuse me, miss. I am very sorry but I have walked a long way and the other tables are full. May I sit here quietly and read?” His voice had a light accent that took a moment to register.

“Oh!” Her head whipped up. Not having time to rearrange her expression, her face still bore the frown and furrowed brow left by the email. His half smile faded as he appeared to wilt in the sun.

“I am very sorry to have disturbed you, I can see you are busy.” He ducked his head in apology and turned to leave. 

She half stood from her chair and touched his sleeve, almost knocking over her tea. “No! No, it’s okay. You can _totally_ sit here. You just really surprised me is all, it’s cool.” The woman gestured at the chair across from her. He blinked, looking at her closer. A tentative smile appeared on the woman’s face. Reassured, he pulled out the wicker chair and sat down, pulling out a book from the folds of his coat. 

“Thank you, you are very kind.”

Without further talk, he opened the book to one of its numerous bookmarks and began to read.

“You’re, uh…” Her voice trailed off.

“Yes?” He prompted, looking up from the pages.

“You should really buy something, it’s kinda rude to sit at a place without buying something. Like, I can’t tell you what to do but that’s legally loitering, which you shouldn’t do. Legally.” She looked pointedly at the NO LOITERING sign by the entrance.

“I suppose you are correct.” He sighed and nodded, rummaging through pockets until he found one that jangled.

At the sound of coins, she winced. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think--can I buy you a tea? Please, it would be my pleasure.”

“Oh, no, it is alright, I just--”

But she was already gone.

The man sighed again and scratched his chin, pulling out a few shining coins from his pocket and placing them on the table.

The woman returned a few minutes later with two large teas and a straw. “Here. I hope green tea is okay. I went ahead and got myself another one. You know, since I was up anyway!” Hardly stopping to take a breath, she finished off her previous tea and set it aside, watching him curiously as he unwrapped the straw and placed it through the domed lid. The gestures were slow and a little unsure, and she found it difficult to not intrude. The straw safely installed, he set the drink aside and picked up the silver pieces, handing them to her across the table.

“I’m afraid my currency is not accepted here, but please allow me to pay you back.”

Her hand closed automatically over the coins. “Oh, hey. It’s really no problem.” She peered at them closely. “Hey, is this real silver?”

“Well, I should hope so.” The man lifted the straw to his mouth and took an experimental taste, surprise showing clear on his face when he got several boba at once. He chewed, terror clear on his face, and finally swallowed. _“What is this?”_ he gasped.

“It’s… it’s boba. You know, like tapioca beads, but extra big. Boba.”

“I thought it was tea.”

“Well yeah, you put boba in tea. It’s Chinese.” She took a long drink from hers. “Actually, I think it’s Taiwanese, now that I think about it.” An exaggerated shrug. “Somewhere in east Asia.”

“Oh.”

She glanced at the coins one last time before slipping them into her dress pocket. “I’m Rebecca. Rebecca Bunch, lawyer. You don’t have to call me that. I’m just Rebecca”

He took the hand extended to him and shook it firmly. “Caleb. Very nice to meet you, Ms. Just Rebecca.” He gave her a small smile, which she returned with one of her own. “I am new to town, I suppose you might say.”

“May I ask where you’re from? You know what? Nevermind. I don’t meant to intrude, you can just ignore me.” She waved her hand and pulled her phone out again.

“Oh, it’s okay. You seem nice. I’m here from the, ahh, the city.”

“You mean from LA?”

“Yes, that one.” He nodded, taking another cautious sip. “Tell me,” he leaned forward on an elbow, “could you point me to the nearest library, perhaps? Someplace I could do some research?”

“Oh yeah, just go down East Cameron that way,” Rebecca pointed vaguely to the street that bordered the park. “There’s one about a half a mile that way. They have free internet there, too, if you need.”

“And it is good for research, _ja_?”

 _“Ja! Is sehr gut!”_ She beamed. “My German’s kinda rusty, but I know the basics.”

“Your, ah, German, is quite good.”

“My mom made me learn. You know moms. Always pushing that education.”

“Oh, yes, I do. My mother did too. She wanted the best for me, I think.”

She nodded emphatically. “Exactly. And education’s great! It’s really great. It can get you really far. It’s just not, you know. All there is.”

“ _Ja_. First thing you know you’re the teacher’s pet and making top grades. Next thing you know, you’re… you know, having a mental breakdown!” He laughed a little, and jumped when she responded by guffawing loudly and clutching her chest.

“You do know! And then you’re leaving everything behind to try and start again, but the past just keeps catching up with you and then,” her eyes turned bright and her tea shook as she banged it down on the table. “You’re working for some would-be cowboy and a woman who is determined to treat you like her own child and somehow you still can’t seem to fix things no matter how many times you try to turn back time and really make things work this time!”

He peered at her intently across the table and leaned back into his chair. “Huh. You really do get it.”


End file.
